That through which we see..

It’s something that enters your eye when your cries first echo into the world. Everything is blurry and unknown, and yet there is something bright, letting you know you’re alive. It’s something you see on top of a cake, as you blow it away with all your wishes buried deep in your heart. You look up and see everyone you love whose eyes reflect it. It’s something that illuminates the room when your alone crying, your hand clutching at a picture that you once lovingly looked upon. When everything seems like the opposite of it, you look up and you see that it was never gone. It is something that irritates you when your hangover kicks in, causing the throbbing in your head to worsen. You try to turn over and ignore it, but it creeps at you, trying to push you off your bed.

You feel it when you’re hugged tightly by someone you love, as your heart hammers inside your chest. You hear it when you’re in a beach all alone, as the waves crash into the sand. You taste it when your girlfriend kisses you, as you lick your lips to relish the feeling of her lips on yours as you drop her off at her house. You smell it in a flower patch or in a bakery, as it seeps into your nose and conjures up memories long forgotten.

It is something you see when the church doors open to reveal the love of your life walking down the aisle. You see it glitter in her eyes as you slip in the ring on her finger, and you see it again in her smile. It is something you see when you see your child for the first time, as you lull him/her in your arms. You feel like a big giant compared to them, but you don’t care. You’re going to give them everything anyway. It is something that escapes you when you see your wife happy with someone else. You feel robbed and fooled, as you hold in the tears that threaten to fall. But when you see her again it’s like it never happened, and you love her just as much.

You feel it when you see your child fussing over her wedding dress, as she tries to hide the excitement she feels. Although she is being taken away from you, you don’t feel it. Because you know she has chosen well, and she’s happy. You hear it when your daughter’s child giggles when you hold her, the way she babbles nonsense words at you. You taste it when your favorite food collides in your mouth, as you chew it slowly, savoring every bitterness or sweetness.You smell it in the morning as your wife hums slowly while clutching the spatula in her hand. You never notice the way her voice breaks, or the tear stains in her eyes. You just know you feel happy with her in your home.

It is something that you see fifty times on a cake when your kids come over your house. It’s something that reflects on your eyeglass when a flash illuminates the faces of your kids and grand kids. You see it in your her eyes, but sadly it is when she stares at her husband. Your heart breaks a little, yet you smile at them, letting them know that it’s okay. It is something that dances in your living room as it catches the curtains of your house. It is something that spreads into your house, as you desperately try to escape the suffocating air.

You smell it when you’re finally out of the house, although you cough several times. You taste it when water finally enters your mouth, satisfying a thirst you never knew was there. You hear it from her voice, coaxing you to stay awake. You feel it when she holds your hand, vanishing all the pains you’ve felt all these years without her.

It is something that you see, a small dot, a small tunnel. You try to grasp for it, you try to reach it. You hear her voice somewhere, but it doesn’t matter anymore. You try to reach for that something, afraid it might go away. And when you do reach it, you breath in the new air, as your cries once again echoes for the first time into the world, this time as another soul.

Light.

My 50th blog post :D



Eeeeep! I can’t believe it. After I started my blog in 2011, I honestly didn’t know what to do. At that time I was just entering college, a realist optimist fifteen year old. I had a lot of drafts, but I never published them. Just then, last May 14,2012 I began to write again. I posted random thoughts, mostly about things I’ve experienced or learned. And now, I can’t believe that I’ve reached the fiftieth! I

 know it’s not that big of a stepping stone, but hey, I love the little things. I just want to say thank you for all those who have read, commented and cheered me on. I thank my mom for her support and critiques, my friends who like my posts, to those readers that I don’t know but I love so much, to Anthony who read my posts before anyone did, to Ma’am Jessa Amarille who taught English 5 last sem which inspired me to write every week, to the Facebook groups, to everyone else who inspired me and of course Him. Thank you so much. I have much to learn, I have much to achieve. I won’t talk about anything specific here, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. 

And it’s fairly apt that I post this on the last day of August, seeing as it this month has been the best month for my blog. I have developed immensely, have written and posted whenever I felt like it, and I’ve reached 6k views! πŸ˜€

To those who want to read more, here they are!

  1. Love as a risk.
  2. eleven minutes by Paulo Coelho
  3. Fling Love
  4. Love is acceptance
  5. Me Amore β™₯
  6. My wedding day β™₯
  7. The little things
  8. for the love of teddy bears
  9. Farewell, Doplhy.
  10. What if?
  11. Walkie-talkie
  12. Yesterday’s tragedy
  13. Illusion
  14. The light
  15. YOU β™₯
  16. growing old with you β™₯
  17. Land of mirrors
  18. Complete
  19. Shedding hope (how to cry)
  20. Ale, pabili nang boto. (Can I buy a vote?)
  21. For the love of BACA
  22. Election madness!
  23. LDR (long distance relationship)
  24. Jeepney people
  25. Fusion Crew
  26. Bully Acceptance
  27. A writer’s first: Interview
  28. Ms. Tippity Toe
  29. Peace and quiet at Kalanggaman Island
  30. The necklace
  31. The internet and death
  32. Crumpled Paper
  33. What’s in a name?
  34. The SONA and the youth
  35. Red String of Fate
  36. Someone asked me about you
  37. How I know we’re best friends..
  38. Confessions of a University Scholar
  39. What happens after goodbye
  40. Don’t break a writer’s heart
  41. Super twins
  42. How to read πŸ™‚
  43. Sweet dreams
  44. Life and Writing for dummies
  45. Reading hangover
  46. Piggie vs the wolf
  47. My morning thoughts
  48. Writing Prompt – Happiness is..

  49. First kisses and sloppy nightmares
  50. My 50th blog post πŸ˜€

First kisses and sloppy nightmares

He tilts your chin up, and looks deeply into your eyes. You notice the things you haven’t notice before. Like his eyes are really light brown, that his nose has a faint mole on the right, and that his cheeks actually blush. And then you look down. You see the red, almost heart shaped lips, then you notice that he’s looking at your lips too. You shy away, afraid that he may see how imperfect
you are. But no, he holds your chin up, and smiles at you. Butterflies rapidly form in your stomach, and your heart beats loud you’re afraid that he might hear it. He then leans in, and you automatically shut your eyes. He chuckles, and when you open your eyes he’s smiling at you.

“You.are.beautiful” He whispers, his hot breath touching your lips.

He looks into your eyes again, and then finally swoops down for the kiss. Your eyes close dramatically, as you melt like ice cream on a hot summer day. You feel his soft lips that’s almost like marshmallow. You don’t know what to do, but like instinct you kiss back. You run your fingers along his curly hair, and you smile in the kiss. You don’t just feel fireworks. You feel love. You feel it pouring from his lips, the warm, untamed love. When he pulls away you feel disappointed, but that quickly changes when he presses his forehead on yours. He kisses you nose, and holds your hand like how Tarzan did when he met Jane. In this moment, it’s perfect.

Heart warming isn’t it? We all dream that our first kisses start that way. But as cruel as reality is, it doesn’t work out that way. Some are fortunate, but for us regular folks we have our first kisses in either the most awkward way possible, or the most shocking way. So for those hopeless romantics like me, here are different types of first kisses that I have noted down from friends and online confessions. To be specific these are kisses on the lips by people who aren’t included in your family.

Sloppy Joe- Imagine a fish. Slimy, gross and has its mouth open. Now imagine having that as your first kiss. The poor guy has been nervous as hell during your date, has slippery hands and has been sweating a lot. When he leans in for a kiss he excuses himself to sneeze or he just sneezes at your face. But since you’re excited, you don’t mind. And when he finally kisses you, you now know why you have to cook a fish before you eat it.

Smack Macky– Now this kiss is just plain evil. It’s over before it even began. The dude steals a kiss, and not in a romantic way. He literally has stolen your first kiss, scarring you for life. But if the guy is your crush/dating you, you’re kinda lucky. Some unfortunate souls had their first kiss by a complete stranger! Talk about stranger danger.

Morning Manny- This kind of kiss usually happens during sleepovers and camping. You’re sleeping soundly, and all of the sudden you wake up face to face with a guy. And for some apparent reason, your lips are within kissing range. Before you could vavoom your way out of there, the guy moves, causing the two of you to lip lock your way into losing the virginity of your lips. Now that’s harsh.

Accidental Ace- Just like Smacky Macky, this may come from a total stranger. Now we can all imagine this kiss as we’ve read this a lot and seen this in movies. You’re just doing your own thing, you trip at someone and both of you come tumbling down. The next thing you know both of your lips are together, and you’re too shocked to move. You may think this only happens in movies, but I tell you, it has happened in real life.

Mismatch Mark– You know how sometimes you kiss someone’s cheek? Well imagine you’re kissing someone’s cheek at the same time that guy tries to kiss you on the cheek too. The catch? Both of you try to kiss on the same side. The outcome? Both of you kissed each other on the lips instead of the cheeks. Now this has happened to me, fortunately with a close girl friend. But how about those who got kissed by someone they met, or even their boss as they greeted each other? Awkward? Yes. Irreversible? No.

Spark-less Sam- Now this guy planned everything. He got you a nice reservation for a table for two, both of you danced, ate and had fun. Just as he walks you to your door, he smiles at you. You know you’re going to get kissed. He then leans down, and finally he kisses you. He pulls away, looking at the floor. He holds your hand, and looks at you with a sad smile. “I don’t think this is going to work out. I didn’t feel any spark. I’m sorry.” He then walks away and gives you a small excuse for a wave. You stand there dumbfounded, scratching your head, and walk inside. Since when was is that the guy looked for sparks?

Tongueful Tate- Now this is Sloppy Joe but on a less level. Or worse. You decide when you kiss a guy for the first time and he sticks his tongue down your throat like he’s giving you resuscitation. Hell, even first aid isn’t like that. He seems to be brushing your teeth too. Now all you need is mouthwash and maybe a bit of brainwash and you’re good to go.

Devious Daniel- The name says it all. It’s that creepy guy who has a thing for being a girl’s first, and he does these evil plans to be the first to taste. He may kiss you when you’re happily dozing off to dreamland, or he leans into your side and calls your name. SMACK! You’d never know what’s coming. Shame on these guy, they deserve to be smacked too. In the head. With a hardbound book.

Bad-breath Brad- Now this guy has no respect for you or himself. He kisses like he hasn’t heard of breath mint, and he isn’t ashamed. Some girl have actually barfed, cried and had nightmares. Nah I’m just exaggerating. They didn’t cry.

So far, these are the kind of first kisses that I know of. Not that I tried them all! No offense to those guys who are named the same with my classifications. I know your face is scrunching just imagining these kisses, and I’m afraid I’m about to throw up too. But before we head to the bathroom and empty our stomachs, what was your first kiss like?

Writing Prompt – Happiness is..



The internet is a beautiful thing. It has the cure for every little thing-even a case of writer’s block. For me, it wasn’t really writer’s block. I wanted to write, but I just didn’t have any idea what to write about. So as I was surfing the net, I found this beautiful site, aptly named as Language is a virus. And as I clicked on the Generate New Writing Prompt button, I got a new list every time. And now I’m on the site every time. Most of them are really helpful, some are funny and I get a rush every time I finish one. My favorite one, is write 10 sentences starting with Happiness is.. here it is. πŸ™‚

  1. Happiness is a beautiful love song that plays that just lifts your spirits. It makes you feel giddy as the song plays as if it was for you. Just like this one.
  2. Happiness is finding five pesos after enduring hours of being so hungry. Your stomach grumbles but you know you don’t have enough money. And out of nowhere, a shiny five pesos! Now you can buy bread! (pan de sal anyone?)
  3. Happiness is hearing your favorite song on the radio and just belting out the lyrics like some crazy person. You feel free as you do that dance you do when no one’s watching. 
  4. Happiness is receiving a warm hug after you’ve been crying. You feel that certain warmth seep through your body after crying so hard. Your tears dry on the person’s shoulder, as they say sweet words to calm you down.
  5. Happiness is staring into someone’s eyes and you see their pupils dilate. And that someone is your crush.
  6. Happiness is getting a good grade for something you worked hard on. You just want to fist pump the air and hug your professor so hard they might consider failing you.
  7. Happiness is tasting your favorite ice cream after having a cough for a month. The way the taste melts in your mouth, the way it rolls down your throat.
  8. Happiness is going through your old things, remembering the memories that went with it. Whether good or bad, or something stupid you did then, you know those memories became the reason why you are the way you are.
  9. Happiness is seeing your family happy. Their happiness radiates toward you, and you can’t help but smile with them.
  10. Happiness is laughing so hard with your friends that your stomach and cheeks hurt. But you just can’t stop laughing.

So there’s my list. I hope it somehow brightened your day, and I hope you make a list like that too. It really does make you feel happy. Just remember, happiness is a choice, a choice not everyone makes.  πŸ™‚

My morning thoughts


Everyday I wake up, with the urge to slip back into dreamland. But reality awaits, beckoning me to take my character in the worldwide play of life. I sit up, and glance around my surroundings. Light was streaming down from the windows, illuminating the room. I notice that as usual I am the last one in bed, a result of sleeping late. As I take my first few steps of my day, I search for the familiar faces of my blood-kin, and I kiss them with affection, thankful that they too were blessed with life.

I slowly make my way to the kitchen, eager to fill my starved stomach with blessings that came from the people who made it happen. Having had my fill, I walk upstairs and open my laptop. I pick up my phone as my computer welcomes me with that familiar Windows music. As I scroll through the messages from my ever reliable cell phone, I smile when I read morning messages from him. I hug myself, thinking how lucky I am with everything that I have.

Sometimes I just pause with everything I do, and I think. I find myself daydreaming, staring off to space. I think about life, that no matter how bad or good my day will go, I am still ultimately blessed. That He gives me all that I need, though I may not always get what I want. As Morgan Freeman said, “But since when does anyone have a clue about what they want?”

How about you? Do you stop and think about the things in your life? Do you think about how lucky you are? Even just reading this essay is lucky. Having a computer, having an internet, even waking up in the morning. The next time you feel like you’re nothing, stop and reflect. If you’re nothing, would God have woken you up today? If you’re nothing, why would He give you the gift of reasoning? Desiderata says: You are a child of the universe. You have the right to be here. 

When you feel unloved and alone, count your blessings. As the song goes, you’d fall asleep before you finish counting. πŸ™‚

Piggie vs the wolf



Obesity has really reached its limit, and has blown up everywhere. But we all know we’re not talking about body fat here. The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), otherwise known as “Pork Barrel” which was supposedly for the projects for the benefit of the taxpayers, has drastically blown up from the pockets of politicians. And the aftermath is disastrous. I don’t need to elaborate on how PDAF was started, or what has happened that caused so much alarm because you have the liberty of reading it in the newspapers and other websites. 

I am writing however, to those who have the ability to make a change but are too lazy to do so. I am writing to those who act enraged, and yet they quiver at the thought of doing something. To my fellow Filipinos, today, August 26, is a day that we have allocated to show how much we are insulted by the acts of the people we voted for. Your voice is as important as any others. I say to you, stand up. These people whom we trusted to lead our country have pocketed so much that it has blown up in their faces. They have given us the choice to hate them for taking something that wasn’t for their benefit. For years they have blinded us, for years they have been telling lies. And now that we finally have the hard evidence that would suffice our thirst for justice, let us act on it. 

My fellow Filipinos, young and old, we are the wolf. We are stronger than them. They are the worthless pigs who greedily take what they can get from those who they thought could not think for themselves. Let us prove them wrong. Today, the victims become the predator, moving to catch the prey. We shall huff and puff until they blow away. In this story, we shall get a just ending. We will drive this piggies into the hell hole where they deserve to be. They need to know that we are not okay with what they have done, that we are not helpless. 

Make a stand! Take your part in the million march to dispose of something that was abused by those pigs! Make them feel the rage! Scrap pork barrel!

For those who could not make it to the rally, make your waves through social media. Make this you profile picture for today.

Reading hangover

‘She clutched the knife and drove it right into her lover’s chest. Her lips quivered as his blood slowly stained his shirt, and he screamed from his sleep, feeling the cold blade. His eyes grew wide as he gripped the knife, before passing out. Taking her gloves off, she went out of the hotel room shaking. I did it! Miranda thought. And now for my husband. She grinned mischievously, feeling up the gun that she kept in her purse.’

I close the book, my nerves rocketing through sky limit. She killed her lover! Now she’s going to kill her husband. The cafe seemed to quiet down around me. I look around, and I notice people staring at me. Did I just talk to myself? An old man just looked at me. I talked to myself again! I shut my mouth and walk out of the cafe. The warm weather envelopes me, and I make my way home. I burrow my brows together, my thoughts still hanging by the thought that the protagonist killed the man who made her happy. What kind of twisted world was I living in? I pause for a moment, and I laugh at myself. It’s not my world. It’s a book. 
“Something funny?”
I look up and see him, in all his handsome glory. And he was smirking! The nerve! I walk past him, a tint of blush on my cheeks. 
“Hey I was just kidding.”
I feel him run up to walk beside me, and I walk a bit faster. I hold my book to my chest, and I flag my hand to stop a jeepney. I get into the front, so that he won’t sit beside me. I sigh, exhaling the breath that I was holding. I open my book again, and in an instant I am lost in the sea of words.
‘After getting in a cab, she prayed silently that her husband would be home. The cab ride home was excruciatingly tiresome, and her heart was beating so loudly she hoped the driver would not hear. She tossed her red hair to the side, stepping out of the cab. Her hands were still shaking because of the adrenaline, but nervously tried to compose herself as she walked up towards the apartment. Just as she was about to open the door-‘

“Hey!”

I look in annoyance to my book thief, who grinned like a wolf. He was sitting behind me, holding my book by its cover. Rage seeped through me as he stuck out his tongue out at me. He began reading my book, his brows furrowed as he read the page I was reading. Jerk. The jeepney was near my drop off now, and I was thinking of ways to get the book back. I paid the driver, glared at the thief and got off. Predictably, he got off too and he walked towards me, closing my book. He didn’t even use the bookmark! Now I have to search the book for where I left. I huff, and I try to reach for my book. He held it up over his head, and I curse under my breath. 
“Give me the book Dennis.” I look at him in the eye, trying to muster the angriest look I could. I only received a howl of laughter from him.
“You’re so cute when you’re angry!” He says between his laughter.
I turn around so he wouldn’t see me blush, and I walk towards my house. I hear him call my name, but I pretend not to hear him. I feel his hand on my shoulder, but I just shrug it off. I walk faster, and soon enough I was running towards my house. I try to slam the door, but his damn foot got in the way.
“Hey Clarisse, don’t get mad. I was just curious what the book was about.”
I smack the door to his face, and soon enough I hear an “omf”. I smile with satisfaction, and I walk into my house. I hear him close my door, and I open the TV. He sits beside me, nudging me with his elbow. He slowly slid the book to my lap, and he remains silent. He’s smart after all. I immediately open my book, eager to know what was about to happen next. It took me a few minutes to find where I stopped, no thanks to Mr. jerk-a-lot. 
‘Just as she was about to open the door, she hears a woman. And not just any woman. It was her sister. She stuck her ear on the door, and her heart breaking in two after hearing her sister moan her husband’s name. Filled with rage, she opened the door and her eyes confirmed her suspicions. Her husband was in an intimate position with her sister, whose eyes practically bulged out when she saw her.’
My heart hammered right out my chest, as I read on. But unfortunately for me, the jerk started to sing to the theme song of Phinneas and Ferb as it played on TV. I sigh, and reached for the remote to mute the sound. 
“Hey! No fair!”
He tried to get the remote from me, but I lose immediately when he reached for my book. I reluctantly give it to him, and soon he was blaring the episode. Why did he have to be my neighbor? Why can’t my neighbor be someone who is actually nice to me? But lo and behold, I get a bully. I sigh, and return to my book. I shake my head at him, and he sticks his tongue out again. I open my book, and soon my anger melts. Soon I get lost between the confrontation of wife and husband, my mind drifting into a world woven by a writer so brilliant. And soon, I get drunk again with words from a simple book.

Life and Writing for dummies



After writing for about seven years, I’m still a dummy. So I research day in and day out about things that could help me improve. So one day I found this list by Jack Kerouac, entitled β€œBelief and Technique for Modern Prose: List of Essentials.” It was dated in the 1950’s, and most of the things that were listed were really timeless. And so I was inspired to

make my own list, but with a twist. I wrote 30 things I’ve come to realize in my life and with writing too. My list consists of things I’ve gathered through my whole life from mentors, books, and from being observant. And now may I present, Life and Writing for dummies. πŸ™‚

  1. Write your life with a pen, not with a pencil. Learn from mistakes, don’t try to erase them.
  2. Make lists. 
  3. Never fear rejection. 
  4. When all else fails, drink a cup of coffee. And pick up your pen again.
  5. Inspiration can come from the simplest things. Even from a simple text message.
  6. Find the magnificent beauty in silence.
  7. Never settle for simple. Life’s too complicated to give you simple.
  8. Write. And write again. Keep writing till your heart runs out of ink.
  9. Don’t just write what you’ve experienced. Reach for the unknown, grasp a shooting star, ride that magic carpet and venture into a new world.
  10. Enjoy the little things. 
  11. Do something foolish. Learn to ride a bike with no hands. Eat street food. Fall in love.
  12. Love yourself. Even that little mole on your toe.
  13. When you write, write for one person. If you want to make everyone happy then be a clown. 
  14. Be comfortable with who you are. Awkwardness is not a cute trait.
  15. Never give something in half. You’d only get half in return. 
  16. Give compliments and mean it. You’d never know how much it would mean to the receiver.
  17. Keep a diary. if it’s too much, at least bring a notepad to write the best or worst moments.
  18. Try to be nice. The reason why bad people exist is because it’s easier. Being nice is a challenge. Take it.
  19. Don’t try to change the world. Because how you see it may not be the same with other people.
  20. Fall in love. It doesn’t have to be romantic love. You can love music, art and other non human things. Just find something that makes your heart melt or skip a beat.
  21. Write. Rewrite. Print it. And read it. Then rewrite again if necessary  Mistakes can’t easily be detected with first glance, so read your work over and over until you’re contented.
  22. Try something new everyday. Eat something you’ve never tried. Learn a new instrument. Read a new book.
  23. Bring a small notepad and a pen with you EVERYWHERE. The most brilliant ideas don’t always come when you’re at home safe and sound.
  24. Read the Desiderata. 
  25. Write everyday. Write a thousand words. Or maybe just five hundred words. If all else fails, at least a hundred words. If you still can’t do it, write gibberish.
  26. Free write. It’s psychologically proven that if you free write before an exam or a hectic day, it makes your mind sharper and makes you feel lighter.
  27. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Fall in love again. Just make sure you do it the most poetic way you can.
  28. Pray. No matter what religion you’re in, pray. 
  29. Free yourself once in awhile. Dance to a random music. Sing loudly (even when you’re out of tune).
  30. Never forget all those who helped you when you were down. They’ll help keep your feet on the ground when you’re on top of the world.

Sweet dreams

As another million thoughts rush into my head,
I groan and sigh, 
and let my frustrations out onto my bed.

I wait impatiently for sleep to embrace me,
but unfortunately,
I just never seemed to be that lucky.

My phone beeps and I reach out for it,
 I see your name,
my heart decides to skip a beat.

We text back and forth for what seemed like an hour,
you seemed to calm me,
the thoughts in my head beginning to cower.

You wanted to call so I said yes,
When I heard your voice,
I thought of one little request.

Soon you spoke of aliens and princesses and happy endings,
I smile to the phone,
wondering how I earned such a blessing.

My eyes later on began to weigh a ton,
and I fell asleep,
just in time for the story to be done.

“Sweet dreams” I heard you say,
I did just that,
my mind more than happy to obey

How to read :)


I’m just going to get right to it: My generation hates reading. 

We’ve become more of a “visual” generation, who has the attention span of a goldfish (9 seconds) who needs “music”, “colors” and other “moving” things to keep us entertained. I say it’s pretty pathetic. We are all hanging by the wire, clinging to an electricity charge that flows through our wires. And while we fry our brain while playing video
games, burying ourselves in social networking, sticking our eyes to the television, while the works of Shakespeare, Dan Brown, Paulo Coelho, and all the other brilliant writers are stuck in a bookshelf waiting to be read. So to those teens who are willing to give up their game consoles and other gadgets for even just an hour of reading, here’s how to read:

Pick a good book. Pick a book that perks your interest. Books have different genres, like

It could be about anything you’d like to be, just as long as you’re interested in it. Remember, no one else is going to read it for you, so it better be something you really like.

Find a place to read. The best thing about books is that you can read anywhere. You don’t need to be near an electric outlet. You can read outside by a tree and enjoy the breeze that’s not from an electric fan or air conditioner. Again, it all depends on you where you’d like to read. Just make sure you’re comfortable. As long as you don’t read inside a moving vehicle because it would just damage your eyes-not good.

Reading position. This is kind of the hard part-finding the perfect reading position. Although it is advisable to read with your book in front of you, you can’t help but feel stiff after a few minutes. Just make sure you won’t get sore in whatever position you chose.

Read. Now this is the main part. When you read, don’t just read the words. Don’t just flick your eyes from one corner of the page to the other. When you read, read with your imagination. If the book shows you a scene where rain is pouring, imagine that it’s really raining around you. Watch the scene unravel right before your eyes. When there is a conversation between the characters, imagine you’re listening to it. Use any actors voice when reading their conversation. Just make it real to you. It may seem tiring, but I promise you that when you get used to it, it’s a breeze. You can imagine yourself as the main character, or as the enemy, or as the love interest. That’s the best thing about your imagination-you can go as wild as you can. If you can, read with your heart. Cry when a character dies, get mad at the enemy, laugh when something funny happens-bring your emotions with the ride.

Use a bookmark/make a marking where you stopped. To make sure you don’t get lost when you put the book down, mark it with something so that you could easily open to where you stopped. That way you won’t have to bother yourself with looking for the page where you stopped.

Finish it. Always finish what you started. You’d leave yourself hanging if you don’t finish the book. The endings are always the best part, that’s why they say “save the best for last”. You’d know whether the couple you’ve been rooting for ended up together, or if the murderer got caught, or you could be left with an open ended ending, making you wonder what could have happened.

Learn from it. The best thing about the book it that no matter how random a book may be, there would always be a lesson from it. So instead of doing the mistake yourself, learn from the book. You can learn that you have to stack up for a zombie apocalypse, that you should not go down the stairs when there’s a murderer in the house, that you should not take anything for granted, and others more. 

So the next time you’re about to drone yourself into a marathon of facing your beloved gadget, try to pick up a book once in a while. Stimulate your brain into doing something that could enhance it, rather than deteriorating it. Books are there at your disposal, and your imagination will always be at bay if you don’t read something. Reading is fun believe it or not. It just takes some perspective.

Happy reading!